FORT LEE — The Army has released its proposed report on the potential environmental impact of a proposed 1,000-room military hotel at Fort Lee, finding that the facility will have "no significant impact" on the area’s environment, including the economy.

FORT LEE — The Army has released its proposed report on the potential environmental impact of a proposed 1,000-room military hotel at Fort Lee, finding that the facility will have "no significant impact" on the area’s environment, including the economy.The Fort Lee Environmental Management Office released its Final Environmental Assessment of the proposed Army Lodging Facility on Thursday, kicking off a public comment period that ends March 29.As was widely expected, the assessment concludes that the roughly $120 million project "is not expected to result in significantly adverse individual or cumulative impacts to resources at or in the vicinity of Fort Lee," according to the report.More importantly, the agency also released a draft of a Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI, bearing the name of Fort Lee Garrison Commander Col. Michael G. Morrow. It states:"Based on my review of the facts and analysis contained in this Environmental Assessment ... I conclude that the effects of implementation of the proposed action are not significant and will not adversely affect the quality of the environment."The FONSI is significant because if the Army had determined that the hotel project would have a significant environmental impact, it would have been required to prepare a full environmental impact statement — a much more detailed and time-consuming process that would have pushed back the start of an already-delayed project.Public notice of the proposed lodging facility was first provided on Aug. 9 of last year, kicking off a 30-day public comment period, but most local residents only became aware of the project at a presentation held on Aug. 19 at Union Station in Petersburg.A number of members of the business community and some government officials were alarmed by the unexpected size of the proposed lodging, which originally was expected to start construction by the end of last year. They mounted an effort to extend the comment period to 120 days; the Army later agreed to add 30 days to the original 30-day period.The report released Thursday includes the comments received during that period. Many are from the business community, including members of the hospitality industry, and reflect questions and concerns about the potential impact of the plan on their business and local government revenues.A business coalition that was created in response to the lodging plan, now known as the Hospitality Coalition, has continued to raise questions about the possible economic impact of the project. The coalition successfully lobbied members of Congress to seek additional information about the economics of the project before considering whether to give it final approval, which is still pending.However, comments from some other local residents present decidedly mixed opinions about the plan, including some negative reactions to businesses’ objections."I have watched and read about all those greedy people coming here from all over the country to build hotels and motels, apartment buildings and new subdivisions in the Tri-City area and in Richmond," wrote a Hopewell woman. "The rates of hotels and motels now are going up as well, as you might know, and they are not beyond fleecing the government for all that they can. Our taxes are high enough, and I shudder to think what they will be next year, paying for all of Oboma’s [sic] give-a-ways, we don’t need to add to that and drive the taxes even higher."But another resident also had taxes in mind in voicing opposition to the project: "As a resident of the tri-city area I find it very hard to understand the logic of building a hotel on post that will make such an economic impact on our community," she wrote. "For sometime now this area has readied itself for growth in our cities surrounding Fort Lee. ... Now we hear that there are plans for a 1,000 room hotel to be built on post WITH OUR TAX PAYING MONEY! If this hotel is built on post it will take away much of the revenue needed to improve the tri-city area and the making of a better community for the new residents of this area."The Army’s responses to the public comments focused on the overriding importance of providing on-post housing for soldier-students:"Army senior leadership has concluded that building a 1,000-room facility, as a nonappropriated fund project of the Army Lodging Fund by 2012, and retaining operation of the existing 577 rooms, is necessary to meet the Army’s mission requirements.""The Army has a vital interest in lodging as many soldiers attending training on the installation as possible. Lodging soldiers on post significantly reduces the cost of training by having lower room rates and eliminating the need to fund local transportation costs if soldiers were to reside in commercial hotels. Equally important is the positive impact on readiness, force protection and safety. The Army’s mission interests and taxpayer costs are best served by proceeding with the proposed Army Lodging project."The Army also cited a continued need for off-post lodging even after the proposed facility is built, amounting to some 900 rooms after the hotel opens in 2012.The report is available online at http://www.esm.versar.com/FortLee/.Anyone who wants to submit additional comments about the proposal can mail them to NEPA Coordinator, Environmental Management Office, 1816 Shop Road, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1604, or e-mail them to leeenepalee@conus.army.mil. The deadline is March 29.• Michael Buettner may be reached at 722-5155 or mbuettner@progress-index.com.

FORT LEE — The Army has released its proposed report on the potential environmental impact of a proposed 1,000-room military hotel at Fort Lee, finding that the facility will have "no significant impact" on the area’s environment, including the economy.

The Fort Lee Environmental Management Office released its Final Environmental Assessment of the proposed Army Lodging Facility on Thursday, kicking off a public comment period that ends March 29.

As was widely expected, the assessment concludes that the roughly $120 million project "is not expected to result in significantly adverse individual or cumulative impacts to resources at or in the vicinity of Fort Lee," according to the report.

More importantly, the agency also released a draft of a Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI, bearing the name of Fort Lee Garrison Commander Col. Michael G. Morrow. It states:

"Based on my review of the facts and analysis contained in this Environmental Assessment ... I conclude that the effects of implementation of the proposed action are not significant and will not adversely affect the quality of the environment."

The FONSI is significant because if the Army had determined that the hotel project would have a significant environmental impact, it would have been required to prepare a full environmental impact statement — a much more detailed and time-consuming process that would have pushed back the start of an already-delayed project.

Public notice of the proposed lodging facility was first provided on Aug. 9 of last year, kicking off a 30-day public comment period, but most local residents only became aware of the project at a presentation held on Aug. 19 at Union Station in Petersburg.

A number of members of the business community and some government officials were alarmed by the unexpected size of the proposed lodging, which originally was expected to start construction by the end of last year. They mounted an effort to extend the comment period to 120 days; the Army later agreed to add 30 days to the original 30-day period.

The report released Thursday includes the comments received during that period. Many are from the business community, including members of the hospitality industry, and reflect questions and concerns about the potential impact of the plan on their business and local government revenues.

A business coalition that was created in response to the lodging plan, now known as the Hospitality Coalition, has continued to raise questions about the possible economic impact of the project. The coalition successfully lobbied members of Congress to seek additional information about the economics of the project before considering whether to give it final approval, which is still pending.

However, comments from some other local residents present decidedly mixed opinions about the plan, including some negative reactions to businesses’ objections.

"I have watched and read about all those greedy people coming here from all over the country to build hotels and motels, apartment buildings and new subdivisions in the Tri-City area and in Richmond," wrote a Hopewell woman. "The rates of hotels and motels now are going up as well, as you might know, and they are not beyond fleecing the government for all that they can. Our taxes are high enough, and I shudder to think what they will be next year, paying for all of Oboma’s [sic] give-a-ways, we don’t need to add to that and drive the taxes even higher."

But another resident also had taxes in mind in voicing opposition to the project: "As a resident of the tri-city area I find it very hard to understand the logic of building a hotel on post that will make such an economic impact on our community," she wrote. "For sometime now this area has readied itself for growth in our cities surrounding Fort Lee. ... Now we hear that there are plans for a 1,000 room hotel to be built on post WITH OUR TAX PAYING MONEY! If this hotel is built on post it will take away much of the revenue needed to improve the tri-city area and the making of a better community for the new residents of this area."

The Army’s responses to the public comments focused on the overriding importance of providing on-post housing for soldier-students:

"Army senior leadership has concluded that building a 1,000-room facility, as a nonappropriated fund project of the Army Lodging Fund by 2012, and retaining operation of the existing 577 rooms, is necessary to meet the Army’s mission requirements."

"The Army has a vital interest in lodging as many soldiers attending training on the installation as possible. Lodging soldiers on post significantly reduces the cost of training by having lower room rates and eliminating the need to fund local transportation costs if soldiers were to reside in commercial hotels. Equally important is the positive impact on readiness, force protection and safety. The Army’s mission interests and taxpayer costs are best served by proceeding with the proposed Army Lodging project."

The Army also cited a continued need for off-post lodging even after the proposed facility is built, amounting to some 900 rooms after the hotel opens in 2012.

The report is available online at http://www.esm.versar.com/FortLee/.

Anyone who wants to submit additional comments about the proposal can mail them to NEPA Coordinator, Environmental Management Office, 1816 Shop Road, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1604, or e-mail them to leeenepalee@conus.army.mil. The deadline is March 29.

• Michael Buettner may be reached at 722-5155 or mbuettner@progress-index.com.

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